PANAJI
The Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Tuesday hit out at the Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar accusing him of playing with the disqualification petitions at “leisure and pleasure”.
Addressing the 60th Goa Legislators Day event in the presence of Speaker and the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Alemao said that political defections are shaking the very confidence of the parliamentary democracy.
“The growing defection by the MLAs is shaking the confidence of people in the parliamentary democracy. This is very unfortunate that the authorities empowered under Anti Defection Law prefer to sit pretty cool,” Alemao said.
“It is not a matter of pride for the speaker who is the custodian of the house to play with Disqualification Petitions at leisure and pleasure,” he added as he slammed the Speaker for miserably failing in his duty on deciding on the disqualification petitions.
Alemao was referring to various petitions pending before the Speaker seeking disqualification of eight MLAs, who defected from Congress to join BJP in 2022. The Speaker's delay in deciding on the matter had even forced the petitioner to move the Supreme Court for necessary directions.
The Leader of Opposition also said that there is a growing threat to the freedom of choice and expression in the State.
Alemao was strongly countered by the Chief Minister, who requested the MLAs to maintain the dignity of the Speaker’s chair. “We cannot speak against the Speaker in the Legislator forum meeting. Speaker knows his rights and duties,” he said.
Sawant also said that those who defected from the parties did so for the “wellbeing” of the State and the country and not for personal interest.
